The present invention relates to package dispensing machines, and more particularly to an adapter device for cigarette package dispensing machines for modifying such machines to dispense thinner sized packages than what the dispensing was originally constructed to dispense.
Typical cigarette dispensing machines are designed and constructed to dispense cigarette packages of a predetermined, thickness dimension. These predetermined sized packages are typically about 13/16 of an inch in thickness.
It is contemplated that a market exists for cigarettes in a package of smaller thickness of, for example, 5/8 of an inch thick. It is realized that a substantial portion of the market for cigarettes is machine dispensed sales. However, presently there are no existing cigarette package dispensing machines for dispensing cigarette packages which are thinner than the conventional sized packages. And, it would be extremely expensive to add additional cigarette dispensing machines just to dispense thinner size cigarette packages. Therefore, a need exists for an adapter device for converting existing package dispensing machines to dispense cigarette packages of a thinner dimension than conventional size cigarette packages.
Such an adapter must be relatively inexpensive to manufacture, must be capable of being installed quickly and easily in existing cigarette package dispensing machines, and must be capable of being installed without modification of any of the components of the existing cigarette package dispensing machine.